Discipleship Response
New Creations
1 Corinthians 10:16-17
Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.
~ Apostle Paul
• In Christ, we are grateful recipients of the forgiveness that comes through Jesus’ body and blood shed on the cross and shared together with each other in Holy Communion.
Pondering Point
Listen to the Apostle Paul's perspective on the Lord’s Supper The cup we share in Communion is one of thanksgiving, connected to the blood of Christ shed for us on the cross. The bread that we break, his phrase for meal-sharing, is a connection to the body of Christ. That's not just the body of Christ that died on the cross but it is the body of Christ that Paul characterizes as "one loaf of bread," the people comprising Jesus' body of believers in all times, places, ages and races – every tribe, nation, and tongue that proclaims Jesus Christ is Lord.
Review
Am I thankful for every tribe, nation, language, and people who participate with me in the body of Christ described as one loaf?
Repent if Necessary
Repent of disrespecting Christ’s body or doing a disservice to other members of Jesus' body by dismissing them as irrelevant or treating them as unimportant?
Return as Necessary
Come to God with an attitude of gratitude because Jesus gives you a place at His table. Maintain that gratitude for the place that He has made for everyone else who calls upon Him as Lord.
1 Corinthians 10:17
Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.
Prayer for the Day
Lord Jesus, help us to grasp the one-loaf dynamic of Your church, of Your people. Teach us by Your Holy Spirit what unity looks like in Your eyes -- as part of Your one body, with You as the One Lord and us in the one faith (regardless of what that faith is labeled). And help us to be thankful for all brothers and sisters across this world. Show us how to stand strong as one body undivided with liberty and justice for all through You Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.